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(NoModel.) L. J. RICE.

SELF CLOSING FAUGET. No. 412.542. Patented 008. 8, 1888.

N. PETERS. Plwxwumngrapher, wnhlngmn. D. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS J. RICE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

y SELF-CLOSING FAUCET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,542, dated October 8, 1889.

Application led May 20, 1889.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEWIS J. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Self-Closing Faucet, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of faucets in which the valve opens against and is closed by the water-pressure.

The object of my improvement is to cause the valve to close gradually and easily without shockA or jar.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. l

Figure l represents a central longitudinal section showing the valve wide open. Fig. 2 is a like section showing the valve partly closed. Fig. 3 is a like section showing the valve closed. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section at a, Fig. l, and Fig. 5 a similar section at b.

A is a cylinder, which is divided into two compartments by ahorizontalpartition B, having a central opening c, which is surrounded on the under side by an annular valve-seat d. The lower end of cylinder A is-partly closed by a reducing-coupling e, having a central opening f, whichforms the inlet-port.

H is the outletport, which is preferably curved upward and then downward, as shown. The top of thecylinderis closedby a cap I, having an ordinary-stuflingbox J, through which the valve-stem 7c passes. The valve L is secured to the lower end of the valve-stem- Said valve consists of a iiat disk having a packing-rim m, of leather or similar material, on its upper surface, which engages the valveseat d. The diameter of valve L is such as to leave a narrow annular space nbetween the edge of the disk and the walls of the cylinder, said space beinglessin area than the outlet H.

P is a piston, which is secured to the valvestem in such a position that when the valve L is closed the piston will be nearthe top of the cylinder, the piston having a cupped leather packing q, which iits the cylinder nicely. Piston P is provided with several perforations r r, which pass vertically through it and are covered on the top side by a light Serial No.3l1,4=66. (No model.)

clack-val ve s, which slides freely on the valvestein. Th ere is also another perforation t, which passes vertically through the piston, outside of the clack-valve s, which is covered more or less by the head of a screw ru., which is screwed into the pistonand has'one edge of its head cut away so as to expose the openin'g t, the purpose being to adjust the effective area of the opening by turning the screw so that its head shall cover more or less of the opening. A disk w is mounted between pis- ,ton P and valve L, so as to slide freely on the valve-stem above the partition B. The rim of said disk is of such awidth as to cover the interior opening of outlet H, when placed opposite it, and of such diameter as to neatly it the cylinder diametrically and slide freely therein without friction. lThe disk w is provided with large openings, as at between. the rim and the hub, through which the water may flow freely. The relation of the hub y of disk w and the valve L is such that when the valve is closed the disk wis supported by the valve at such a height as to n early cover the outlet H; but when the valve is open the disk rests on the partition B, leaving the outlet open and the water flowing freely around the hub and through the openings a; in the disk.

The operation of my device is as follows: The valve is opened by the operator pushing the valve-stem downward until the parts are in position shown in Fig. l. The water passes upward, around theedgesof the valve, through the annular space n, the opening c in partition B, and the openings in disk w, to the d outlet H, a portion also passing easily through the openings in piston P to the upper part of the cylinder, until the space above the piston is iilled. When the valve-stem is released, the waterpressure forces the valve quickly upward until the reaction of the water contained in upper part of the cylinder operates to close the clack-valve s and stop the return of water through the perforations fr in the plunger, thus checking the movement of the valve and only allowing it to move so fast as the water can escape from the upper part of the cylinder through the single perforation t in the plunger. As the valve L nears its seat and reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, it engage the hub of disk w, and in its further upward movement raises the disk also, thus gradually closing the outlet, until the pressure below the valve is nearly equalized by the pressure above, and the valve comes gently to its seat without shock or jar. By turning screw uthe effective area of the perforation t -in piston P may be adjusted so as to cause the valve to close in a greater or less length of time, and to thus control the amount of water delivered by the faucet while closing.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a faucet, the combination of the cylinder having two interior compartments divided by an open transverse partition having avalve-seat thereon, an inlet-port leading to one of said compartments and an outlet-port leading from the other compartment, the valve-stem mounted in the cylinder, the diskvalve secured to the valve-stem and arranged -to close the opening in the partition and to open toward the inlet-port, the piston secured to the valve-stem above the outlet-port, said piston being provided with perforations r and 'tand the valve arranged to slide on the valvestem `and to close the perforations r, all arranged to co-operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a faucet, the combination of the cylinder having two interior compartments divided by an open partition having a valveseat thereon, an inlet-port leading to one of said compartments and an outlet-port leading from the other compartment, the valve-stem mounted in the cylinder, the disk-,valve secured to the valve-stem and arranged to close theopening in the partition and to open toward the inlet-port, and the open disk mounted on the valve-stem, adapted to cover they outlet-port with its edge, and arranged relatively to the valve so that the disk is slid over the outlet by the closing of the valve, all substantially as set forth.

3. In a faucet, the cylinder having two interior compartments divided by an open tran sverse partition having a valve-seat thereon, an inlet-port leading to one compartment and an outlet-port leading from the other compartment, the valve-stem mounted in the cylinder, the valve secured to the valve-stem and arranged to close the opening in the partition and to open toward the inlet-port, the piston secured to the valve-stem above the outlet-port, said piston having perforations through'whioh water may pass from one side to the other, and the open disk mounted loosely on the valve-stein, between the piston and the valve, so as to permit the stem to slide through the disk, all combined and arranged to (so-operate substantially as specified, whereby the first movement of the valve in closing is checked by the piston, and the oontinued movement of the valve is further checked by the closing of the outlet-port by the disk, asset forth.

LEWIS J. RICE. Witnesses:

H. P. HOOD, A. M. HOOD. 

